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Dwarven Empire
The Dwarven Empire is the most ancient faction on the server. Throughout its long history, the Dwarves have maintained this adamant Empire with pickaxe, sword and iron hard determination. From the primeval mining colonies of Erthir to the vast halls and chambers of Ervingur, they have carved out an impact on each and every world, always standing firm as a major power. The Dwarves are devoted to mining, warfare and architecture, with the ultimate goal of expanding their proficiency in each of these branches of civilization. The Dwarven Empire is a strongly centralized, factionalistic nation state with a 'faction first' attitude. Hard-working, skilled and devoted members are awarded with influence and power under the guiding reign of the Dwarven Emperor. The faction is focused on underground constructions and mining, organized chunk mining being an almost stereotypical characteristic of Dwarven civilization on the server. Ideology Faction First Active, trusted citizens of the Dwarven Empire are awarded with influence and a great deal of independence as they advance through the ranks of the Dwarven Empire. Nevertheless, this independence is supposed to be used by the citizens of the State to further the 'Dwarven Cause', whether this be by trade, building (personal, decorative, military or infrastructural), adventuring, low-level interactions with distant factions or mining. The Dwarven Cause can best be described as the overarching goal of making the Dwarven Empire the best faction it ever can be, either through architectural wonders, wealth or military potency. Additionally, the Dwarves often embark on nationwide projects where the contribution of everyone - from Dwellers to Lords - is absolutely imperative to achieving success. Whether one be a Lord, or Thegn, or Dweller, the Dwarven Cause is the greatest Cause. For in the end, the success of the Dwarven Empire will amount to the success of all its members. Mining and Underground Activities Dwarven citizens like to boast about just how Dwarven they are by recalling ancient feats of chunk mining or how many underground halls they have helped build. Surprisingly, personal wealth (such as the number of diamonds that have been dug out through a session of strip mining) is not nearly as interesting a subject of discussion in Dwarven circles. Dwarvenness is dificult to define but generally depends on the time spent underground instead of above, on the surface. Some Dwarves like to shy away from the surface for days. Taking part in mining activities, building a personal livingspace or hall and having some general idea of faction history are also seen as important. The Dwarven Empire sees personal initiative in underground construction as something positive. Indeed, the faction regards anything outside of the official city 'volume' of rock as a frontier waiting to be developed and settled. Dwarves are allowed to build their own quarters and the ability to see and fulfill needs (such as building farms for food production) is another esteemed quality. National Grudges The Dwarves may proclaim certain former members as race traitors. Depending on the degree of treachery, a national grudge may be proclaimed in practice through consensus or officially through the word of the Emperor. Either way, those weighed down by a national grudge will be relentlessly pursued across multiple worlds for their crimes against the Dwarven people, civilization and Cause. KNAI KNAI! embodies the factionalistic attitude of the Dwarven Empire: it is a patriotic warcry and salute that also mocks the enemies and opposition of the Dwarves. KNAI originates from the accidental mistyping of 'LMAO' by Rickie (now Emperor) during a celebration of a United Empire victory against the Brotherhood in the Great War. Organization Full Article: ''Organization of the Dwarves The Dwarven Empire has principally been governed either through democracy or enlightened monarchy. A long line of Emperors have either ceremonially or directly ruled over its citizens, sometimes with the aid of Chancellors or Lords. Traditional Hierarchy The Dwarves have traditionally organized themselves into a hierarchy based on merit and loyalty. After the formation of the Dwarven Empire-Commonwealth on the ancient worlds, the primitive Kings abandoned their individual titles to become Lords. '''Lords' were then wardens of Dwarven cities but have nowadays become the highest order of citizens, with some power of their own under the mandate of the Emperor. The Lords elected the first Emperor, a title which has remained to this day as the highest rank of the Dwarven Empire with both ceremonial and direct power and influence. Historically the Emperor would rule together with a Chancellor, but this position has disappeared since the end of the Second Era. Today, the Emperor holds the ultimate power over the Dwarven Empire and is also the commander of the Dwarven legions. Subsequent to the appearance of these stations, the Lords also allowed new members to join as either Dwellers or Miners. With activity and loyalty, a Dweller can become a Thegn, the basic citizenship of the Dwarven Empire with some influence and independence. Thegns first appeared as a member base in Solgrundir. A Thegn has always been able to advance to the rank of Lord, through monetary contributions, warrior skill, buildcraft or activity but always with devotion to the Dwarven cause. Democratic Consitutions The 'Old Empire' was largely defined politically by its use of constitutions to appoint members to leadership positions through votes. The constitutions were abandoned at the end of the Second Era but saw a brief return as Austin became Emperor in the Third. They have definitely disappeared from Nuramur and onwards, although democracy (then direct) returned after a long period of enlightened monarchy during the Fifth Era. The First Constitution Used by the Dwarven Empire since the crowning of the first Emperor until the First Northern-Dwarven War, the First Constitution called for elections that would determine role-specific leaders within the faction, including a Diplomat, a Chancellor, an Architect and a Lord-Commander. It was already noted over the course of the Dwarven Empire's early history that the Diplomat and Chancellor positions were only marginally different, and these two seats were fused into, simply, the Chancellor role. The First Constitution became infamous for its beaurocratic ways, and was partly blamed for the defeat suffered by the Dwarven Empire in the First Northern-Dwarven War. The Second Constitution Adopted on March 16th following the collapse of the State during the Northern War. This Constitution was marked by the advent of a Lord-Chancellor position, with near universal powers and general control of Dwarven affairs. The Council of Lords existed as a bulwark against tyranny, and the heart of new Dwarven democracy, representing the Dwarven Lords in a principally legislative body. Granted the power to enact any laws within a shortened time-frame, change the constitution, appoint or remove the (otherwise indefinitely in place) Lord-Chancellor, and over-rule the decisions of the Chancellor provided a high level of internal support, the Council nevertheless was intended to defer most quick and non-controversial decisions to the Lord-Chancellor. Amendments of the Second Constitution 1) Resurrected the positions of Commander and Architect, although now clearly defined as under the orders of the Chancellor. No elections were held for these positions, they were appointed by the Chancellor, and acted as temporary leaders in times of crisis (the Architect during a period of peace, the Commander during a period of war) 2) Peace treaties needed the support of the Council, provided the war lasted for over a week and included an enemy of more than four members. The Third Constitution After a short time of protest against absolute rule by newly crowned Emperor Austin towards the end of the Ervingur Age (early Fourth Era), it was decided that faction members would have equal say against the Emperor. In short, the Third Constitution stipulated that four Lords were to be elected from the main faction pool of members, the Thegns. If the Lords reached a simple majority on any decision, their word was superior to that of the Emperor. It should however be noted that the primary role of the Lords was to make decisions while the Emperor was offline. Lords could be removed by Votes of No Confidence, which required a simple majority to pass. In such a case, a new Lord had to be elected. Dwarven Socialist Republic When the Third Era dawned the Dwarves continued for a period as the successor state, the Dwarven Socialist Republic. Ruled directly by the powerful Commissar, most Imperial titles disappeared but returned as Hilary was crowned Emperor. Enlightened Monarchy Just as the Dwarven Socialist Republic began to fall quiet, old members returned, including Aanker. The Imperial line was continued and formerly Commissar Hilary was crowned Emperor Hilary, this time without any guiding consitution. The old Imperial titles were reborn. Then, at the end of the Third Era, Hilary was forced to abdicate due to a moderation controversy and Austin became Emperor. The Dwarven Emperor holds absolute authority on all matters and has official total control over the faction. In practice, the Emperor orders the shift of faction activities from individual small-scale projects to national chunk mining endeavours, handles the diplomacy of the Dwarven Empire and functions as the highest commanding officer in battle. In times of peace, when the major faction-spanning mining activities are complete or near completion, the Emperor does however often allow for a great deal of individual initiative. Many faction decisions are also made through discussion between Dwarven citizens and their Emperor, while some architectural projects are left entirely in the hands of their planners or a designated 'High Architect'. For these reasons, few - if any - Dwarves have ever uttered such unknown and unheard words as 'tyranny' or 'dictature' under the reign of the Emperor. The New Dwarven Democracy The Dwarves found themselves in a unique position after the abdication of the Emperor, Hilary_Duff, and thus the decline of the Empire at the end of the Fourth Era. Realizing that they would no longer be able to stand alone, the Dwarves banded together into a Commonwealth with nearby peoples. The Dwarves and the various cultures that resided within their protection governed themselves by following Sociocratic principles during peacetime. In times of war; however, an Autocratic military leader was chosen to rule the state until such time as peace was restored. The Return of the Dwarven Emperor The Dwarves dawn a new era in a not so new world, looking to reclaim their one true home of Ervingur the glorious Dwarven Emperor Hilary_Duff returns anew with some long forgotten Dwarves, alongside many newly declared ones. History Full Article: ''History of the Dwarves Dwarven history is the longest of any faction on the server, stemming from the days of the so-called Ancient Server. A few dwarven members can still be overheard talking nostalgically about their memories of the depths of Erthir and halls of Urahamr, although ironically, a long-lasting trend in the faction has been to outdo all work from older worlds with each new world. For instance, Ervingur was many times larger than Solgrundir, which in turn was many times larger than both Urahamr and Erthir. A series of five eras can be used to describe Dwarven history. The First Era contains the mythical beginnings of the faction, whereas the Second Era covers most of that which transpired on the Ancient (Erthir), Older (Urahamr) and first official world (Solgrundir), while the Third Era is a period signified by the absence of imperial rule, the Dwarven Socialist Republic instead being the sole representative of dwarven power in the world. The Fourth Era marks the time of Hilary's crowning as Emperor, and thus also stands for the reformation of the Dwarven Empire. Ervingur was built through the Third and first quarter of the Fourth Era. The Fifth Era is pronounced by the reign of the Democratic Dwarven Nation of Equal Dwarves. The timespan of each Dwarven city corresponds to an 'Age'. The Dwarven cities defining the Ages in this fashion are referred to as 'Age Capitals'. Because the Dwarves have (so far) only built one great capital city per world, these Ages are analogues for the different community and official worlds (see timeline). Due to this, Dwarven members often refer to worlds - for instance - as 'the Solgrundir World' or the 'Ervingur World' rather than using the world count popular in the rest of the community. The Second Era After the mythical beginning of the world, a saga at the very heart of the Dwarven people, Erthir was founded as the Second Era began. Together with Orsimmar, Erthir would be one of the two primordial Dwarven cities that later banded together to form the Dwarven Empire. On a subsequent world, Urahamr was built and the Great War was fought with the Brotherhood, resulting in the formation of the United Empire. The Dwarves were then gradually growing out of their ancient isolated roots as new tribes and houses joined the banner of the Dwarven Empire. The United Empire was disbanded after the cataclysm of Urahamr, resulting in a small and dormant Dwarven remnant living scattered across the lands looking for a new home. Solgrundir was built after the Dwarven Empire finally decided to settle on a new world, with a resurgence of strength and ambition. While Solgrundir in all certainity was its greatest architectural achievement the Empire had ever dreamed of achieving until that point, and the faction rose to new heights in both member counts and activity, an underperforming military, betrayals and upheaval of the old member core permanently transformed the Dwarves. This later half of the Second Era has become known as the 'Dark Ages' of the Dwarves. Although military defeats and victories were rather evenly dispersed for the Dwarven Empire during the later half of the Second Era, particularly the First Northern-Dwarven War challenged the faction to its roots. Not only was it quickly discovered that the mainly diplomacy-reliant faction was lacking modernity in comparison with its rivals, which favoured military strength over influence and architecture, but it had made a series of decisions which resulted in a diplomatically untenable position. Allied to decidedly weaker factions at the beginning of the world than its competitors, the Dwarven Empire was forced to work uphill for most of the remainder of the Second Era, only really regaining a foothold after the tarnished image it had gained in the Goblin War was amended. In spite of these chronic problems, Solgrundir was by all means the greatest architectural feat of the server in its time, and it was also discovered that chunk mining - the main occupation of the Dwarves in peace time - was a lucrative activity. This era would also see the rise of Austin944 and Hilary Duff, who would be key members in the Empire later. The Old Empire, born in the ancient cradle of Erthir and Orsimmar, had given way to the New Empire towards the end of the Second Era. The Third Era As the first official TWC server came to an end, imperial power dissolved and Rickie (Hilary_Duff) created a successor state with the blessing of Aanker, original founder of the Dwarves, going simply by the name of "The Dwarves". Having a Soviet government, this Dwarven Socialist Republic was ruled by the Commissar, who reignited the Dwarven spirit and rallied the remaining core members by undertaking the construction of Ervingur, a massive underground city whose great halls awed all. There was considerable militaristic sentiment in this successor state of the Dwarven Empire; indeed, several wars were fought over the course of the faction's history. Although the Dwarven Socialist Republic was challenged and fought to a white peace early on in the Seven-Day Siege, it achieved many notable victories - including those in the Dwarven-Saxon War - where a federation twice its own size was decisively defeated under the command of Commissar Rickie. After the Dwarven-Brotherhood War, the Dwarves toned down their thirst for war and returned to mining, but the member count dwindled slowly. When Aanker, a core member who had been absent from the faction since the end of the previous world, returned to his old comrades to live in Ervingur as a Dwarf once more, Rickie crowned himself Emperor, and thus the imperial line was continued. The Fourth Era dawned. The Fourth Era Rickie was only able to rule for a short time as Emperor during the Fourth Era before a moderation controversy forced him to abdicate and devote himself entirely to server administration. Austin was instead crowned Emperor but dissent towards the monarchy resulted in the weakening of his rule, with the writing of a new democratic constitution to distribute power amongst the members of the Dwarven Empire. Ervingur was worked on further, while an impressive defensive structure - Skyspear - was built to watch over the lands surrounding the Dwarven capital from the heavenly ceiling of the sky. Ervingur, however, was abandoned by the Dwarves as the world collapsed. A long period of mourning followed for the great city, often claimed to be the crowning achievement of the architects of the Dwarven Empire. As the Fourth Era continued on a new world, Rickie again declared himself Emperor, and Josstwc soon left after a disagreement. The remainder of the Fourth Era was rather short, but marked by three large wars during this period: the war against Vaenor, the war against North Korea, and the war against Raven. During this time, the Dwarves once again sought to outdo themselves by creating a massive city, however the world was bound to end soon and so the city of Nuramur was never completed. With many members of the server complaining that the large map was hindering PvP activity, the world was reset after six months. After the announcement of the server reset, Emperor Rickie left the Dwarves for North Korea. The Fifth Era The Fifth Era began after the abandonment of the former-emperor Rickie and former-member Selukon. Cryers became the figurehead for the Dwarves, with the government mainly being communal voting on important matters. With the new provincial system, the Dwarven nation started out with the creation of a central fortress, in the land of Belduum, to protect the capitol province of Taalomar. Shortly after, a small settlement was started to the east, being called Thoduum. The Dwarves found that there was profit in the task of endless mining, and they flourished. Rapid expansion became the tune of the Dwarves, claiming land all around them. A brief moment of tension arose when the faction Neo-Belka, a vassal of Arkadia, claimed land across the bay, near the southern Dwarven tundra. However, after negotiations, the issue was resolved diplomatically. The main focus of the Dwarves' shifted to building, after expansion had taken place, and settlements arose across the Dwarven Empire. For a brief time, the Dwarves went into slumber, leaving the dwarf Elofan to keep watch over the sacred halls. Little to his knowledge, there was a lone Dwarf, far away, toiling away for the empire. His name was Saayd, and his endless mining woke the Dwarves from their slumber. Invigored by the slumber, the Dwarves awoke to find there was a clan of Dwarves in the north. Meeting eachother, the Northern clan had wished to join the Dwarven empire. With a resounding KNAI! the two parties were made into one, keeping the Dwarven race unified. Shortly after unification, The Order of Blikege which neighbored the Northern Clans set their eyes on Dwarven Lands. After Order claimed that Amgarrakian lands belonged to them, war was declared. After a week and a half of skirmishes, the Dwarves won, with help from Thraxxin. Dwarven dominance was once again established and a province was gained for the Dwarves. The end of the Fifth Era saw a waning in activity in anticipation for the new world. By April of 2014, the Dwarves were the last remaining faction, with only one member left. The Dwarves declared themselves ruler of the server, until the next world. The Sixth Era The Six Era began on August 1st, 2014. The founding of Dvor-Ervingur and Uramir made the Dwarven Empire the first nation formed upon the new world. Within 3 hours, the Dwarves found themselves at war with the nation of Arenland, as the city of Innsmouth was deemed to be too close to the Empire's borders. The Dwarven-Arenland War ended in Dwarven victory, and the lands around Innsmouth, then abandoned by the Arenlanders, was annexed. Ussurkair (roughly meaning 'Sewers') was founded by Selukon following the end of this conflict. After several unprovoked attacks by the ex-Dwarf Josst, war was declared upon Belka in retaliation for these crimes. The Dwarven War of Retaliation Against Belka was fought for two days, and ended in a Dwarven victory. A white peace was settled with the Belkans, who gave the Dwarves a piece of dirt as a sign of friendship. This initial aggressive raiding gave way to further construction projects within the Dwarven Empire, as well as the religiously significant event of the finding of the first holy donkeys, near Uramir. The Dwarven Empire dominated the continent of Ossugmar ('Oz-oogh-mar') in the northwestern corner of the world, with the island of Elter forming its westernmost reach, the island of Stiboir (also the location of the city 'Nargothrond') forming its northernmost land and Knole Selamir guarding over the southernmost reach. In the east, the border of the Dwarven Empire is ill defined although Uramir and Braavos are distinct territories of the realm. The Dwarven capital, Dvor-Ervingur, was located in the Kassertoren (Emperor Mountains). The Seventh Era During the fall of 2014, MCC and its owner mysteriously dissapeared. The Dwarves, and many other (lesser) nations came to a new world full of promise. The New Era began on January 1, 2015 Within the first week the Dwarves heard the call of Carazon, a lesser nation, being threatened by North Korea. The Emperor answered their pleas for help, and joined the war. North Korea, its vassal The Vulcans, and Insurgents -a mercenary faction full of several former Dwarves- joined the North Koreans. After fighting with the Insurgents left both the Dwarves and mercenaries well spent, a temporary truce was declared between the two factions. Great Dwarven Cities Solgrundir: The Second Era Capitol The Imperial Capitol of the Dwarven Empire, found in the far southern regions of the world. Hitherto unexplored, the first Dwarven pioneers formed a small base. Soon the remaining Dwarven settlers followed, and in the middle of the icy continent, began the construction of a great hall beneath the earth. This hall and its extensions were to become Solgrundir, and the stone mountain created above it, Solgarund. Ervingur: The Third Era Capitol The pinnacle of the Third Era and a testament to Dwarven greatness, the great halls of Ervingur were beyond compare. Construction was nearly completed before the dawn of the Fourth Era. Atop Ervingur sat the impenetrable fortress of Skyspear. Nuramur: The Fourth Era Capitol The uncompleted capitol the short Fourth Era, known as Nuramur, had deep-running caves and plans that were too big to be fulfilled. Originally slated to be twice as big as Ervingur, then reduced to a size comparable to Ervingur, it had many hours of work put into chunk mining before a loss of morale by the abandonment of the Emperor, shortly before the Fifth Era. Belduum: The Fifth Era Capitol At the dawn of the fifth age, the Dwarves quickly set up the beginnings of a capitol on the southernmost continent of the new world. The center of Dwarven operations was the valley of Belduum. Dvor-Ervingur: The Sixth Era Capitol During this time, an ancient and secret ritual was being performed to summon the lost city of Ervingur from the past. The Dwarves had plans to renovate and restore their ancient capitol when it was returned to them, however the world had died before the ritual could be completed. Economy From the later half of the Second Era (Solgrundir Age) and onwards, the Dwarven Empire has been an economic titan on every world. This wealth has been achievable through the underground focus of the faction. Dwarves spend most of their time underground and thus have a greater chance of coming across bountiful cave systems and the occasional exposed ore, while chunk mining yields mountain upon mountain of potentially exchangable cobblestone as well as pure server wealth through 'pay per mined block' systems. Cobblestone, in particular, is an important export of the Dwarven Empire. Until the cobblestone is exported or used for smelting to smoothstone (for instance used in the Dwarven terraforming projects), it is stored in massive halls filled with rows upon rows of double chests of the resource. Under the land claim system of the previous worlds, the Dwarves would often hold the most expansive claims as a result of the indescribable wealth generated through constant mining. Of course, some Dwarven construction projects are expensive in other aspects. Chunk mining requires diamonds to craft the absolutely necessary diamond pickaxes which bear the brunt of the work. Obsidian, gravel and lava - together with vast amounts of accumulated smoothstone - have traditionally been used to build Dwarven fortresses of various forms. Overall, however, the Dwarven Empire tends to have more resources stored away than it could ever spend. Dwarven Banners and Insignia The Dwarves pride themselves in their rich history and heritage, going to great lengths to demonstrate just how Dwarven they are through an assortment of flags, symbols and colour schemes. Imperial Colours The basic Imperial colour scheme consists of deep blue and gold, the blue often forming a field and being framed by gold or with details of gold upon the blue field. This arrangement saw its first use early in Dwarven history, likely as early as Erthir, but became official only by the time of Solgrundir. Green, either on its own or together with gold, has also seen use decoratively but does not hold any meaning beyond the purely aesthetical. Dwarven Symbols Pickaxes and Hammer Together, the diagonally crossed pickaxes in front of a vertically standing hammer signify the principal Dwarven activities: mining (either for resources or for the creation of grand halls) and war. The hammer in particular holds a very symbolic role for the Dwarves, being part of their motto ("The Hammer Strikes Hard on the Iron...") and is also seen as an icon of their blunt but forceful determination. The Pickaxes and Hammer are seen on the national flag (the 'Blue and Gold') of the Dwarven Empire and serve as the official faction symbol. The symbol itself was used as early as Erthir but was only placed upon the Imperial standard at the time of Solgrundir. Mountain Eagle of the United Empire Used as the official animal figure of the United Empire, the black mountain eagle held a pickaxe and a sword to signify the formation of that nation in the middle of a raging war. The symbol was abandoned as the United Empire was thrown into decline and the Dwarves thought the featured animal was too similar to that of their rival, the Brotherhood. Crossed Arms A relatively new symbol, the crossed arms signify the Dwarven peoples united under one Empire. The four crossed arms do not actually represent any Dwarven folk or house individually; four were merely chosen to allow the formation of a frame around a central symbol. It appeared during the Fifth Era. Star of Fallen Heroes The Dwarven Star is an eight-pointed figure drawn by thin interlaced lines. The Dwarves believe that the stars are the souls of fallen champions and heroes, and the usage of a star as a symbol for the Dwarven Empire appeared only during the Fifth Era, framed by the Crossed Arms on the Dwarven banner of that tim National Flags The Blue and Gold The Blue and Gold is the off-server national flag of the Dwarven Empire and is often flown on the forums and other sites. Although its complexity has made it impossible to represent completely ingame, it is still revered by the Dwarves because of its main feature, the traditional Pickaxes and Hammer emblem, in gold upon a deep blue field. The Blue and Gold was first woven during the latter half of the Second Era, when Solgrundir was still rising. Golden Cross The Golden Cross is the on-server national flag of the Dwarven Empire and will readily be seen in any Dwarven city. It first appeared in Ervingur and has since taken its place as a banner at the very heart of the Dwarven people. This flag is almost always hung vertically. The Golden Cross is relatively simple: a T-shaped golden cross lies across a deep blue field, the horizontal line of the T constituting the uppermost border of the flag and the vertical line following the banner all the way to the end of its pointed bottom. Imperial Star This national flag was only ever used for a brief period during the Fifth Era and featured the Star of Fallen Heroes framed by the Crossed Arms. These emblems were drawn in gold upon a deep blue field. Dwarven Culture Language ''Full Article: ''Dwarven Language '' The Dwarves speak a unique language influenced by Old Norse and Germanic. The language sees use in Dwarven ceremonies and is maintained by the Head Scribe, Aanker. The Dwarven Language began with the god Ur, and is written in special runes. A phonetic equivalent exists for those who read and write in the Latin Alphabet. Religion Full Article: ''Dwarven Religions '' While the Dwarven Empire is polytheistic, holding no official canon or control over which gods are recognized by its members, the majority of Dwarves choose to worship the gods of the Dwarven Pantheon. There have been, and still are, a number of different religious views within the Dwarven Empire, however. Ancient Dwarven Mythology (The Darfasaga) The oldest dwarven religious tradition is the one that centers around the Father God, Ur, and the Mother God, Airna. Ur holds a very special place within the heart of many Dwarves, as it was, according to legend, Ur that sent the four dwarven brothers out on their journeys into the vast unexplored tracts of the world. Furthermore, Ur is the deity of warfare and glorious death in battle. Airna is still given proper credit, however, as it was reputedly her that led the two dwarven brothers Ostsir and Lurthr to victory against Malhamr in the First Era. Ur The Father God. His name is the Dwarven name for the planet and the word "Ancient", as he was the First. Sacrifice to Ur is made through death in battle, or failing that, by being crushed by diamond blocks. Diamond - the "Breath" of Ur - is the purest form of material, and is said to cleanse the spirit of all evil and wickedness. Ur is regarded as the Just Judge, and the Hungering Warrior. His bloodlust is great, but so is also his fairness and belief in the righteous cause. Airna The Mother God. Her name means "Wind", as the wind is her medium of choice. Airna is the counterweight to Ur, disliking sacrifices and accepting wrongdoing, but only if such sin is repented through regret and repayment. She favours diplomacy over war, but may, just as Ur, unleash her full fury on her enemies should there be betrayal or foul acts at hand. Various Household Gods The Dwarves have no common religious canon and so recognize private household gods and deities. These could range from Smyrginir, the God of Irritation Through Placement of Iron Blocks, to Halfhandr, the God of Having Half Hands, to Hranhallir, the God of the Entrance to the Entrance Hall.